


this is what you've become

by seadancegraves



Series: altered consciousness [3]
Category: Altered Carbon (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, If Takeshi enlisted help to stop Reileen, M/M, No Smut, but also no plot really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-26
Updated: 2018-02-26
Packaged: 2019-03-24 04:32:56
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13803480
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seadancegraves/pseuds/seadancegraves
Summary: He sees how Rei's been twisted by time, and he's sorry, but he cannot allow her to pull him into her evil plans.





	this is what you've become

**Author's Note:**

> this may or may not have a part II so i'm marking it complete for now so i don't get anyone's hopes up.

She comes to him in dreams. In reality, she’s much too harsh, too cruel. Rei is gone. 

His sister has dissolved into the former shell of herself. Reileen tells him of all the things she’s done, for  _ him _ , and he just shakes his head in disgust, walking away while he still can. She lets him, because she loves him. She must know, somehow, whatever she’s done to save him and bring him back, meant losing him further.

Kovacs slams the door of his room, at this horrible facsimile of a hotel, he falls into bed, fully dressed, only bothering to kick his shoes off. He’d ignored Poe, just now, trying to babble on about the progress made with Lizzie. Kovacs knows he should care more. 

But now that Rei’s returned to his life, brought simmering chaos to the surface, he feels a bit like he can’t breathe. It’s like the worst times, like being back on ice, or in Virtual, while under interrogation. Back when he thought he was helping her, saving her from being real deathed.

Kovacs let’s his eyes fall shut, and he sleeps. It’s better there.

Rei’s still soft, sweet and kind, with a smile like sunshine, white teeth like knives, and her bodies frailness that belies true strength. Arms like steel girders wrap around him, threaten to crush him unless he yields, then he gets the warmth of her smile. “Got you, didn’t I?”

“You always do.” She does, as he will as well. They find each other, they save each other… they never harm one another. Kovacs grimaces, even while sleeping. It’s not until hours later he’s pulled from rest by a cold sweat, and he wakes up only to stumble off to the shower. 

He strips methodically out of his soaked clothing, and gets into the glass walls, putting it as hot as he can stand. The water burns into his shoulders, scalding his skin, and Kovacs hisses in response. This pain is easy to handle, to compartmentalize. 

It’s nothing at all like the betrayal of a loved one. He lets the water cascade over his neck and down his chest until he can’t wait any longer. Kovacs flips it to cold, and then groans at the difference. The feel is like the best part of being on ice. 

The solitude, the chill, Kovacs embraces it. The fog in the room quickly melts away, and with it, all of his fears. He knows what he has to do. Rei will no longer torture him while he sleeps, visions of the past cannot haunt him, not when he knows she lives, and is crafting his destruction should he refuse her, in any way. 

He won’t join her army, he won’t help her continue reigning. 

Everything about it makes him sick, so he has to turn to his own enemy. 

_ The enemy, of my enemy, is my ally, after all.  _

Laurens would probably laugh to hear that Kovacs thinks of him in such flattering terms. 

He leaves the shower and redresses, comfortably, not preparing for battle. 

Kovacs barely towels off his hair, and then goes downstairs. 

“Send Mister Bancroft a message. I need to speak with him, tonight. Urgently.” 

Poe nods, and jumps to do just that. It doesn’t take long. Kovacs has more power than he realizes. The man himself is knocking on his door a scant hour later. 

“What’s this, urgent business about, Kovacs?”

“I need your help. I want to stop my sister.” Laurens’ eyebrows meet, then one lifts.

“From doing what exactly?” Kovacs grits his teeth, and then waves a hand around. 

“You name it, she’s got her fingers in it. She’s been at this only three hundred years, but she’s only gotten meaner. Whereas I like to think I’ve found compassion.” 

Laurens barks out a laugh, and then shakes his head. 

“If that’s what you call compassion I’d hate to see you properly angry at me.”

Kovacs rolls his eyes, and then folds his arms over his chest, “So what’s your answer?”

Laurens examines his nails, before pinning him with a stare. It’s enigmatic, and piercing. 

Kovacs has nothing to hide, however. The man before him knows him a touch too well. 

Rei would be jealous. The thought warms him slightly. Laurens inhales deeply, “You’d owe me.”

“I already owe you, until I’ve got your case solved. After that, call it a favor.” Kovacs says.

Laurens holds out a hand, fingers waggling, and he takes it, getting a firm handshake in reply, before a sharp tug almost knocks him over, into the man’s chest. 

Kovacs tries not to flinch away as Laurens puts his lips right against his ear, a hint of warning to his tone. “I’ll decide exactly what the favor entails, and you won’t be able to say no. Understand?”

“As long as it’s not killing anyone I care about, like Ortega, then that’s fine.” Laurens chuckles. 

“Fond of her, are you? Just like your sleeve was, how very ironic.” 

Kovacs jerks away from him now, rubbing a hand over the back of his recently freed one.

“Yeah, yeah save it.”

Laurens paces around his living room, and gives him a look. 

“So what exactly do you need me to do?” 

Kovacs sighs. “First I need you to prove to me you aren’t her. She’s been known to sleeve hop.” Laurens looks mildly shocked, but he shrugs, and then rolls up his sleeves. 

Kovacs watches him warily, anticipating a trap. 

“Miriam gave me a message to pass on to you. She says hello.” He’s not sure how that means he can trust the man, but when Laurens shows him a lipstick kiss on his skin, it’s surprising. There’s little chance Reileen would know of his past involvement with them both. 

“What did you call me the first night we met?” Kovacs finally says. 

Laurens smirks, “Darling, I didn’t know you cared. A smart boy, if I recall.” 

He swallows. The man’s right. Infuriating, but accurate. “Okay. Yeah.” 

Laurens doesn’t look convinced himself.

“Do you want me to do something for you? Bend you over right here, and ensure you recall exactly how I feel inside you? Miriam’s had you in this apartment, in your bed. But I haven’t had the privilege. I’m hurt, Takeshi, truly.”

Kovacs ignores the flare of heat trickling into his gut, 

“Tempting as that offer is, I’m gonna have to say no. I try not to bring my work home with me. That night with your wife, ahem, was a mistake. A lapse in judgement.” 

“That’s unfortunate. I find sometimes that sex helps me focus. I’d be more useful and valuable to you off of a fresh fucking.” Laurens teases, edging in close enough to kiss his neck, the side of his cheek as Kovacs turns, not meaning to face him, but trying to glare. “Not right now, okay?”

“If you’re certain. Know that it  _ will _ be part of my returned favor.” Kovacs rolls his eyes again. 

“No shit.”

  
  
  



End file.
